Who is behind the Salud Mesoamérica 2015 Initiative?

Carlos Slim Foundation

The Carlos Slim Foundation was established in 2007 through the initiative of Carlos Slim Helú to develop and fund programs that participate in solving the main health problems of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Institute works on a human scale, with an innovative spirit and a clear concern for the neediest populations.

The Institute’s goal is to develop and implement best solutions, focusing on all aspects of health: from pregnancy and childbirth to geriatric care; from improvement of the household environment to taking care of the environment; from the physical and emotional care of individuals to social factors; from recognition of individual efforts in the health sphere to the contributions made by organizations and communities; from personal self-care to the major problems of the Latin American region; from the dissemination of traditional knowledge useful for health to the development and introduction of the most advanced technological solutions.

The Carlos Slim Health Institute was organized to develop health solutions with a clear and promising goal: to help people live longer and better.

Spanish international cooperation

One goal of Spanish international cooperation is substantial progress toward sustainable human development, eradication of poverty and the full exercise of rights. The principles of the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action are the framework for its work, which is carried out using different approaches, including a highly active, effective multilateralism.

The horizontal priorities of the Spanish international cooperation are social inclusion and the struggle against poverty, promotion of human rights and democratic governance, gender equality, environmental sustainability and respect for cultural diversity.

The health sector is a priority of Spain’s international development cooperation policy. Health is considered a basic right and a necessary condition for being able to enjoy all other inherent rights. Without a suitable health policy, it is impossible to achieve well balanced, sustainable development that allows women and men to reach their personal goals. Health is a public good, and, as such, its management includes a significant component of public responsibility.

Spanish participants in the Salud Mesoamérica Initiative program include the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID).

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty.

In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) - Implementing Agency

The Inter-American Development Bank is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Besides loans, grants and guarantees, the IDB conducts cutting-edge research to offer innovative and sustainable solutions to our region’s most pressing challenges. Founded in 1959 to help accelerate progress in its developing member countries, the IDB continues to work every day to improve lives.